Trump seeks trade deal with Xi during Asia trip

25/10/2025 12:24

U.S. President Donald Trump will test his deal-making capabilities on a trip to Asia, a region battered by his hardball trade policies, while doubts hang over his highly anticipated meeting with China's Xi Jinping.



Trump, who left Washington on Friday night, is set for a five-day trip to Malaysia, Japan and South Korea, his first to the region and longest journey abroad since taking office in January.



The Republican leader hopes to pile up trade, critical mineral and ceasefire deals before turning to the toughest challenge, a face-to-face with Xi on Thursday in South Korea.



Trump is also working to maintain the signature foreign policy achievement of his second term, a fragile ceasefire he helped to strike in the Israel-Gaza conflict, while the Russian war in Ukraine rages and a trade war with China shows little sign of ending.



Washington and Beijing have hiked tariffs on each other's exports and threatened to cut off trade in critical minerals and technologies altogether.



The trip was formally announced by the White House on Thursday. Details remain in flux, including the meeting between leaders of the world's two largest economies.